This disclosure relates generally to a system and method for producing variable information documents, and more particularly to a system and method for processing a variable information request which declares an intent for variable information, resolving the variable information request and producing a resolved electronic variable information document.
Creation of variable information (VI) documents is typically a complicated procedure in which variable information languages and tools are implemented. The VI documents are generally created in a print shop, where the author of a VI document must be familiar with the VI languages and tools available in order to create the VI document. Furthermore, data sources providing the variable information are limited. Creation of a VI document may include creating a document template in which at least one field is a dynamic field.
Producing the VI document includes retrieving data from at least one data source for resolving the at least one dynamic field and including the retrieved data in the document. Typically, the data source(s) available for resolving the at least one dynamic field are predetermined as the document template is created, and knowledge about the data source(s) is used when constructing the document template. A multitude of public data sources are available in today's information rich society. Such data sources may be dynamic in that new data sources become available and existing data sources expand, become unavailable or change configurations. However, a user developing a document template for a VI document typically is restricted to accessing data in one or more predetermined data sources from which to retrieve data to be used in the VI document.
Additionally, currently in order to print information found on the World Wide Web a web-aware client application program is used that allows users to search for and access documents on the World Wide Web. Using a protocol, such as hypertext transport protocol (HTTP), the application reads, interprets and displays documents found on the web written in a markup language, e.g., Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), and may further convert the HTML document into a printer ready language document which is printable by a traditional printer. The selection of data to print must be performed before requesting that the data be printed, since the printer is limited to handling print requests for printing documents that are already in printer ready language.